Yellow Flowers: 30 Yellow Flowering Plants for Every Season

Yellow can be in flower somewhere in a US garden from February to hard frost. Witch hazel and winter aconite open the year, daffodils and forsythia take over in March, baptisia and daylilies carry late spring, coreopsis and yarrow hold the summer, and swamp sunflower and goldenrod finish it. Those are the backbone of the 30 picks below.

Yellow is also among the hardest colors to design with, because a little goes a long way. Each pick below notes its actual shade, from creamy to deep gold. After the picks come the design rules for yellow, a regional guide, and the yellow-flowered plants that are invasive or banned in parts of the country.

How these plants were chosen

Every pick had to meet four tests. Its hardiness zones, size and bloom months had to be on record from a botanical garden or university extension service. Its flower color had to be described in those records, not inferred from a name like "Gold" or "Sun". It could not appear on the Connecticut or Virginia invasive plant lists. And it had to be available to home gardeners. A few picks spread by suckers, rhizomes or seed, and their entries say so. Eighteen of the 30 are North American natives or selections of native species.

Zones are USDA hardiness zones on the 2023 map, which sorts the country by average annual extreme minimum winter temperature into 10°F (5.6°C) zones with 5°F (2.8°C) half zones. Check yours with the plant hardiness checker. Deer notes are a guide, not a promise; the fuller picture is in the guide to deer-resistant plants.

Zones on the USDA 2023 map. * 'Stella de Oro' is listed to Zone 10, but as a winter-dormant daylily it is a poor choice in Zone 9 and warmer.

Late winter yellow (February to April)

Late winter yellow comes from shrubs and small trees that flower on bare wood and from low bulbs that open before the grass greens up.

'Arnold Promise' witch hazel (Hamamelis × intermedia)

Witch hazel 'Arnold Promise' hangs fragrant, spidery yellow flowers on bare branches in February and March, weeks before forsythia, and adds good fall leaf color. It grows 12–15 feet (3.7–4.6 m) tall and wide in Zones 5–8 and flowers best in full sun with steady moisture in acidic soil. Pull any suckers that rise from the roots, especially below the graft, and water in summer drought or the leaves scorch. Deer tend to leave it alone. The native Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) flowers even earlier, from January, in yellow, orange or red.

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

Winter aconite is one of the first yellows at ground level: upward-facing buttercup cups, each set on a ruff of leafy bracts, on stems 3–6 inches (8–15 cm) tall in March and April. It is hardy in Zones 3–7 and likes sun at bloom time and shade once trees leaf out. Soak the dry tubers overnight and plant them 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) deep and 3 inches (8 cm) apart in late summer or early fall. The plants go dormant by late spring but still need soil that never dries out. Deer avoid it, and it may seed itself into small colonies.

Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)

Cornelian cherry covers its bare branches with small clusters of yellow flowers in late March and early April, then follows with red fruit. Grow it as a large multi-stem shrub or a small tree of 15–25 feet (4.6–7.6 m) in Zones 4–8, in full sun to part shade. Its weakness is suckering: cut suckers as soon as they appear or the plant spreads into a thicket. Deer browse its leaves and twigs, so it is not deer proof.

Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)

Carolina jessamine is the southeastern native evergreen vine that hangs fragrant, golden yellow trumpets from February to April. It climbs 20 feet (6 m) or more on a fence, arbor or trellis in Zones 6–9, and flowers most heavily in full sun. Prune right after flowering and go easy on fertilizer. Keep it away from play areas (see the warning above); deer and rabbits do not eat it.

Spring yellow (March to May)

Spring yellow comes from bulbs, flowering shrubs and native woodland plants that bloom before the trees overhead fully leaf out.

Daffodil 'February Gold' (Narcissus)

Daffodil 'February Gold' is an early cyclamineus daffodil with a bright yellow trumpet and slightly swept-back yellow petals on stems 12–18 inches (30–45 cm) tall. It flowers in March and April, as early as February in Zone 7, and grows in Zones 4–8. Plant bulbs in early to mid fall at two to three times their height, with at least 3 inches (8 cm) of soil over the tip. Leave the leaves until they turn yellow, because they feed next year's bulb, and avoid wet soil, where bulbs rot. Deer and rabbits tend to avoid daffodils, and unlike tulips they keep flowering year after year. More detail is in the daffodil growing guide.

'Meadowlark' forsythia (Forsythia)

Forsythia 'Meadowlark' is the forsythia for cold winters, hardy in Zones 4–8. Common border forsythia loses its flower buds below -5°F (-21°C), but 'Meadowlark' buds survive to -35°F (-37°C). It flowers bright yellow along the whole stem in March and April, not just below the snow line. It grows 7–10 feet (2.1–3 m) tall and 6–10 feet (1.8–3 m) wide, and up to 13–15 feet (4–4.6 m) if never pruned. 'Northern Gold' and 'Northern Sun' are bud-hardy to -30°F (-34°C). Prune right after flowering and take out one-quarter to one-third of the oldest stems every other year; any cut after mid-July removes next spring's flowers.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Spicebush is a native shrub whose tiny greenish-yellow flowers make a soft haze on bare twigs in March and April. Expect a subtle yellow, not a bright one. It grows 6–12 feet (1.8–3.7 m) tall in Zones 5–9 and does well in part shade with two to six hours of direct sun. Its leaves feed spicebush swallowtail caterpillars, and female plants need a male nearby to set fruit. Laurel wilt can kill it, and deer browse it.

Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum)

Yellow trout lily is a native woodland bulb with nodding yellow lilies in April, petals swept back and often brushed purple on the outside, over leaves mottled brown and purple. Plants stand 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) tall in part to full shade in Zones 3–8 and go dormant by late spring. Buy corms rather than seed, which takes four to five years to reach flowering size, and set them 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) down, 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) apart, in fall.

Magnolia 'Butterflies'

Magnolia 'Butterflies' brings fragrant yellow flowers in April on a tree small enough for a house lot: 15–20 feet (4.6–6 m) tall and 10–15 feet (3–4.6 m) wide in Zones 5–9. Avoid warm south-facing walls, which coax the buds open early. Its fleshy roots are easily damaged, so choose the site once and leave it alone. Its larger relative 'Elizabeth' reaches 20–35 feet (6–10.7 m) and flowers earlier, in March and April, which exposes it to late frosts. For more spring-flowering trees, see the guide to flowering trees.

Creeping Oregon grape (Mahonia repens)

Creeping Oregon grape is a low, spreading western native with clusters of yellow flowers from April to July over holly-like evergreen leaves, followed by blue fruit that birds eat. It stays 6–10 inches (15–25 cm) tall in the wild and 1–2 feet (30–60 cm) in gardens. Grow it in full sun to part shade in Zones 5–8, with a sheltered spot in Zone 5. Its native range runs through the mountains from British Columbia and Alberta to California, the Black Hills, Arizona and west Texas, so it suits gardens in that region best.

Late spring and early summer yellow (May and June)

Late spring yellow comes mostly from long-lived perennials and vines that bridge the gap between bulbs and the summer daisies.

'Screamin' Yellow' baptisia (Baptisia sphaerocarpa)

Baptisia 'Screamin' Yellow' sends up spikes of bright yellow pea flowers 12–15 inches (30–38 cm) long over blue-green leaves, then dark seed pods. It scored a perfect 5.0 out of 5 in a 2012–2015 Delaware trial of 46 baptisia selections. Plants grow 2–3 feet (60–90 cm) tall and spread to 5 feet (1.5 m) in Zones 5–8, flowering in April and May. Give it full sun and shear it after bloom so it stays rounded without staking. It is slow to settle in, resents being moved, and grows poorly near black walnut.

Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea)

Golden alexanders is a native carrot-family plant with flat clusters of tiny yellow flowers in May and June, on stems 1.5–3 feet (45–90 cm) tall in Zones 3–8. Black swallowtail caterpillars feed on it, and it is especially valuable to native bees. It grows naturally from Quebec to Saskatchewan and Montana and south to Florida and Texas, in full sun to part shade. The leaves look tired by midsummer and it can reseed heavily, so place it among later perennials that will hide it.

Goldenstar (Chrysogonum virginianum)

Goldenstar, also called green-and-gold, is a native groundcover that forms a mat 3–4 inches (8–10 cm) high with bright yellow, five-petaled flowers 1.5 inches (4 cm) across on stems to 10 inches (25 cm). In cool-summer gardens it flowers from May to October; where summers are hot it flowers heavily in spring, sparsely in summer and lightly again in fall. It grows in part to full shade in Zones 5–9, and in sun only with steady moisture. It spreads by rhizomes but is easy to keep in bounds.

'Stella de Oro' daylily (Hemerocallis)

Daylily 'Stella de Oro' is a compact daylily about 1 foot (30 cm) tall that reblooms from May into August with 2.75-inch (7 cm) yellow flowers, each with a deeper yellow throat. It grows in full sun to part shade and is hardy from Zone 3. It is a winter-dormant type, and dormant daylilies are a poor choice in Zone 9 and warmer. Each flower lasts one day, and daylily rust can be a problem in some areas. Deer often eat daylily buds. The cat warning above applies to every daylily. For culture across the genus, see the daylily growing guide.

Missouri evening primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa)

Missouri evening primrose carries huge bright yellow flowers, 3–5 inches (8–13 cm) across and mildly fragrant, on a sprawling plant only 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) tall from May to August. Each flower opens in late afternoon and stays open until the next morning, which makes it a natural for patios used in the evening. It is native to the south-central US, where it grows on limestone glades and rocky prairies. Give it full sun in Zones 3–7 and sharply drained ground or a rock garden, because it rots in wet, poorly drained soil.

'John Clayton' trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

'John Clayton' honeysuckle is the pale yellow form of the native trumpet honeysuckle. This twining vine climbs 6 to 12 feet (1.8 to 3.7 m) in Zones 4–9 and flowers in May and June. Hummingbirds visit the tubular flowers. It needs a trellis or other support and flowers best in full sun. Powdery mildew and leaf spot show up in hot, humid summers, so give it open air. It is the native replacement for invasive Japanese honeysuckle.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Calendula, or pot marigold, is a cool-season annual with bright yellow to deep orange daisies on plants 1–2 feet (30–60 cm) tall and wide. It flowers from May into fall where summers are cool but stalls in heat, so give it afternoon shade in hot regions and cut it back in midsummer for a fall flush. Start seed indoors six to eight weeks before your last frost or sow it outdoors just before. It is listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats. Flowers range from bright yellow to deep orange, so buy a named yellow selection.

Summer yellow (June to August)

Summer is peak season for yellow daisies in sun, but the best summer yellows also include shrubs, a shade perennial and an annual for edging.

'Moonbeam' coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)

Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' is the softest yellow on this list: creamy, pale yellow daisies with a darker yellow center over a mound of thread-fine leaves from June to August. It grows 1.5–2 feet (45–60 cm) tall and wide in Zones 3–9 in full sun. The cultivar is sterile, so it never seeds around, though it does spread by rhizomes. Shear it in mid to late summer for a second flush in fall. It sprawls in rich or moist soil and its crown rots where water stands, so plant it in lean, well-drained ground. It was the 1992 Perennial Plant of the Year. See the coreopsis growing guide for other threadleaf types.

'Moonshine' yarrow (Achillea)

Yarrow 'Moonshine' holds flat heads of bright lemon yellow, lighter than the gold of 'Coronation Gold', over silvery, fern-like leaves from June to September. It grows 1–2 feet (30–60 cm) tall in Zones 3–8 and wants full sun and lean, dry to medium soil, never heavy clay or rich beds. Treat it as a cool-summer plant: in hot, humid summers such as those of the lower Midwest and Southeast it tends to melt out by mid to late summer. Handling yarrow can cause skin rashes in sensitive people.

Yellow coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa)

Yellow coneflower is the only Echinacea with naturally yellow flowers: drooping yellow to orange-yellow petals around a brown cone from June to August. It grows 2–3 feet (60–90 cm) tall in Zones 5–8, in full sun. Native mainly to the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas, with outlying populations in Oklahoma and Texas, it tolerates deer, drought and clay soil. Watch for aster yellows, which distorts the flowers, and Japanese beetles.

Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)

Shrubby cinquefoil is the toughest yellow shrub here, hardy to Zone 3, with saucer-shaped, five-petaled yellow flowers up to 1.5 inches (4 cm) across from June to September. It makes a mound 2–4 feet (60–120 cm) tall and 3–5 feet (0.9–1.5 m) wide in full sun. Deer and rabbits leave it alone. It dislikes heat and humidity and is not recommended in the Southeast south of Zone 7; mildew and spider mites are the common problems.

Northern bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)

Northern bush honeysuckle is a native shrub 2–3 feet (60–90 cm) tall with small yellow trumpet flowers in June and July that hummingbirds and butterflies visit, then good fall color. It grows in Zones 3–7 in full sun to part shade, handles dry slopes and spreads by suckers. It does best where summers are cool. Despite the name, it is not a true honeysuckle (Lonicera).

'Hidcote' St. John's wort (Hypericum)

St. John's wort 'Hidcote' is a rounded shrub 2–4 feet (60–120 cm) tall with golden yellow cup-shaped flowers, each with a brush of stamens, from June to September. It suits Zones 5–9 in full sun to part shade and copes with dry, rocky or sandy soil. It flowers on new growth, which matters in cold winters: in Zone 5 it often dies to the ground, so cut it down each spring and it will still bloom. In hot, humid climates root rot and wilt can strike. Do not substitute Aaron's beard (Hypericum calycinum), which spreads rapidly by underground stems.

'The Rocket' ligularia (Ligularia)

Ligularia 'The Rocket' sends up lemon yellow spikes in June and July on plants 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall. It is the yellow for wet shade by a pond, stream or rain garden, in part to full shade in Zones 4–8. Its soil must never dry out; the leaves wilt in hot sun even when the roots are wet. Slugs and snails chew the foliage.

French marigold (Tagetes patula)

French marigold is the easiest yellow for edging and containers: an annual flower 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) tall that flowers from June until frost. Sow seed outdoors at your last frost date or start it indoors six to eight weeks earlier. Give it full sun, with light afternoon shade where summers are hot, because flowering can slow in heat. Deer tend to avoid it; powdery mildew, botrytis and spider mites are its common problems. The species also comes in orange, red and bicolors, so buy a named yellow.

Late summer and fall yellow (July to frost)

Late-season yellow comes mostly from big daisies, and four of these five spread by rhizomes or into colonies, so give them room.

'Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii)

Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' is the standard yellow daisy: deep yellow rays 3–4 inches (8–10 cm) across around dark brown-black cones, on plants 2–3 feet (60–90 cm) high, hardy in Zones 3–9. It spreads slowly by rhizomes into wider clumps. It flowers from June or July into September, and the species carries on into October. Introduced in 1937, it was the 1999 Perennial Plant of the Year. Grow it in full sun, or light shade at most; angular leaf spot is its common disease. Deer usually leave it alone. For a smaller version, 'Little Goldstar' stays 12–15 inches (30–38 cm) tall and flowers from July to September.

Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Common sunflower is the classic yellow annual, native to the western US, growing 3–10 feet (0.9–3 m) tall and flowering from July into October. Sow seed directly after your last frost in full sun, at least six hours a day. Tall types need a sheltered spot and a stake, rust and powdery mildew are common, and plants reseed. Rays can be red, mahogany or bicolor, so choose a named yellow cultivar, and leave a few heads standing for the birds.

Swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)

Swamp sunflower covers itself in gold daisies with purple-brown centers from late summer until frost on stems 5–8 feet (1.5–2.4 m) tall in Zones 5–9. It is native to the eastern and southern US, takes wet ground, floods and salt, and is non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Its stems are flimsy and it spreads aggressively by rhizomes, so give it space. Cutting it back hard in June gives a shorter, sturdier plant, and 'First Light' (3–4 feet, or 0.9–1.2 m) and 'Low Down' (2–3 feet, or 0.6–0.9 m) are naturally compact.

'Fireworks' goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

Goldenrod 'Fireworks' throws out arching sprays of yellow in September and October from a bushy clump 3–3.5 feet (0.9–1.1 m) tall in Zones 4–8. It rated 4.6 out of 5 and was a top performer in a 2021–2023 Delaware goldenrod trial. It wants full sun and medium to wet soil, spreads by rhizomes and seed, and is best divided every two to three years, though it is not considered invasive. Goldenrods support generalist and specialist pollinators, caterpillars and seed-eating birds.

Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)

Maximilian sunflower is a prairie perennial whose yellow flowers line stems 3 to 10 feet (0.9 to 3 m) tall from August into November, in Zones 4–9. It grows naturally from Minnesota and Saskatchewan south to Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, and its seeds feed birds. Give it full sun and a large site, because it forms large colonies, and lean soil, because fertile ground produces weak stems that need staking.

How to design with yellow

Use yellow in measured doses, set it against violet or blue, and put the strongest yellows where you want the eye to land.

Soft versus strong yellow. Yellow runs from the creamy, pale tones of 'Moonbeam' coreopsis and 'John Clayton' honeysuckle, through the lemon of 'Moonshine' yarrow and 'The Rocket' ligularia, to the deep gold of 'Goldsturm' and the orange-tinged yellow of calendula and marigold. Soft yellows blend easily with almost anything. Bright, saturated yellow has the highest intensity of any hue and contrasts with every other color, so use it sparingly, as a focal point rather than filler.

Pair it with violet and blue. Yellow and violet sit opposite each other on the color wheel, and the pairing occurs widely in nature. Blues and greens planted nearby or behind calm the strength of warm colors. A drift of 'Goldsturm' in front of purple coneflower, or 'Moonbeam' at the feet of catmint, uses both rules at once. The purple flowers guide has partners for every season, and garden colors covers the color wheel in depth.

Place it where it will be seen. Warm colors seem to advance toward the viewer and read as lively, while blues and purples recede and make a space feel larger. Put the brightest yellows by an entry, at the end of a path or around a seat, and keep cooler colors at the far edges of a small yard. Light changes the effect too: strong summer sun saturates colors, while thin winter light mutes them. Whites and yellows brighten a space used mostly in the evening, such as a patio, and evening primrose opens its flowers just as you sit down.

Light up shade. Several picks carry yellow into shade. Goldenstar, yellow trout lily and 'The Rocket' ligularia flower in part to full shade, spicebush and creeping Oregon grape in part shade, and golden alexanders and bush honeysuckle in sun or part shade. For more options by light level, see the guide to shade plants.

Yellow flowers by region

The right yellow depends as much on summer heat and humidity as on winter cold, so match the plant to both ends of your climate.

Use with the zone range in each pick's entry.

'Screamin' Yellow' belongs on the Plains list because its parent species is native from the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi north through Oklahoma and Arkansas to Missouri. Yellow coneflower and Missouri evening primrose, both native to the south-central states, suit the eastern edge of the region.

In the West, California poppy is the native yellow to add. It grows wild in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada and opens orange to yellow cups from February to October in full sun and dry, lean soil. Sow it in fall where you want it, since it transplants poorly, and expect it to reseed. It can be poisonous if eaten, so keep children from nibbling it.

In Zones 10 and 11, the only pick rated that warm apart from the annuals is 'Stella de Oro', which is a poor choice there. Lean on the annuals instead: French marigold and common sunflower, plus calendula, a cool-season annual, in the cooler months.

Invasive yellow flowers to avoid and what to plant instead

Several yellow-flowered plants still sold in nurseries escape into wetlands, woods and rangeland, and some are illegal to sell or plant in parts of the country.

Listings as of the 2024 Virginia and 2025 Connecticut state lists and current Washington and California ratings; check your own state before planting.

Yellow flag iris is still sold for ponds. It spreads by seed and by pieces of rhizome that drift downstream, and its resin irritates skin, so wear gloves when you pull it.

Lesser celandine carpets damp, shady ground in March and April with glossy yellow flowers of about 8 petals (up to 12). It spreads by underground tubers and by bulblets, smothers native spring wildflowers, and is poisonous to people and livestock. The cultivars 'Pencarn' and 'Buttered Popcorn' are as invasive as the wild plant. Do not confuse it with native marsh marigold, which is much larger, has 5–9 petal-like sepals and makes no tubers or bulblets.

Scotch broom covers green, broom-like stems with bright yellow pea flowers. Its seed stays alive in soil for decades, more than 30 years and possibly up to 80, so one plant can reseed a site long after it is removed. The seeds are toxic to livestock and horses, and dense stands raise wildfire risk.

Japanese honeysuckle opens white and ages to yellow, and Japanese barberry carries small pale yellow flowers in April and May, so both turn up among yellow-flowered plants. Creeping Jenny spreads by rooting stems, and its taller relative, garden yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris), is prohibited in Connecticut.

When you have settled on your yellows, map where each will go, and how wide it will spread, in Sow's garden planner.